Point Park University's Playhouse Jr. Announces Upcoming Season: YO, VIKINGS!, THE OUTSIDERS and More

Playhouse Jr., Point Park University's children's theatre company, celebrates its 63^rd season with three shows for kids of all ages. 

Playhouse Jr. brings a true story to life onstage in Yo, Vikings! Great for younger audiences, this musical tale is for everyone who believes dreams do come true. After taking on a school assignment to learn more about Erik the Red, Emma’s world is transformed into an epic Viking adventure accompanied by her sketchbook, her helmet constructed of aluminum foil and her little-brother-turned-trusty-sidekick. When Emma spots a newspaper ad for a real Viking ship, she sets in motion her grandest voyage of all. Be prepared to get lost in this adventurous tale of a young girl with big dreams.

Yo, Vikings! will be performed in the Rockwell Theatre at the Pittsburgh Playhouse on weekends from May 12 – 27. Shows run Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Book and lyrics are by Point Park alumnus Marcus Stevens; music is by Sam Willmott; based on the book by Judith Byron Schachner.   Yo, Vikings! is directed by Penelope Miller Lindblom.  It was a finalist for the 2011 Richard Rodgers Award.

Also this season, Playhouse Jr. will transform a classic novel from page to stage. The Outsiders is a timeless story about a fourteen year-old named Ponyboy who knows that, in his high school, kids fall into two categories: the greasers, named for how they wear their hair, and the Socs, short for Socials. His struggle with class division, violence, honor and family comes to a boiling point in a clash between the two, a ‘rumble.’ S.E. Hinton wrote the acclaimed book in 1967, when she was an Oklahoma high school student struggling with the same issues not only Ponyboy faces, but also many young teens face today. This Playhouse Jr. adaption is a poignant tale that still rings true and is sure to open the eyes of the audience to look beyond stereotypes.

The Outsiders will be performed in the Rauh Theatre at the Pittsburgh Playhouse on weekends from May 12 – 27. Shows run Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Based upon the novel by S.E. Hinton and adapted to the stage by Christopher Sergel, The Outsiders is directed by Rich Keitel.

The last show in this summer’s season is 13 Bells of Boglewood. In a magical forest, Casey Smith hires teenager Brian to help him dig for gold. Once Brian meets the fairies in the forest, however, he thinks that maybe the gold rightfully belongs with them. With a buried treasure in sight, we meet the Greedy Bogle, as well as spriggins, fairies and Lara, queen of Hollow Hill. It’s an enchanting adventure that asks the audience to consider the difference between doings what is right and doing what is greedy.

13 Bells of Boglewood will be performed in the Studio Theatre at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, May 26 – June 10 on weekends. Shows run Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. 13 Bells of Boglewood is written by Max Bush and Directed by Yoli.

Tickets for all shows are $7 and can be purchased by calling the Pittsburgh Playhouse box office at 412-392-8000 or online at www.pittsburghplayhouse.com.   On May 12^th and 13^th, moms receive a free ticket with the purchase of a regular price admission ticket (offer not valid with other offers; one free ticket per child admission).